Roof Snow Shoveling: What it Could Cost You and When it’s Time

DES MOINES, Iowa -- After one of the worst winters Iowa has seen in years, people are starting to think about shoveling more than just their driveways and sidewalks.

“I did part of the roof, but I’m getting too old for that and besides that it is slick up there. I’ll leave it to a younger man,” homeowner Leon Butler said.

Butler said he hired someone to come shovel his roof before even more snow arrived.

“If we knock it down now, there won’t be as much snow and as much weight. It’s taking the weight right now, but if we keep adding to it, it’s going to add and create more problems for any roof,” Butler said.

Roofing specialists say if you have anywhere from one foot to four feet of snow on your roof, it is time to have it cleared off by a professional.

“Depending on the house, for example, like my house here, it’s really steep and kind of hard to get to. There’s a lot of safety issues. It would take three to four guys about four to five hours to do that and on average most guys bill between $95 to $105 an hour,” Action Roofing and Construction Owner Albert Bustillos said.

Even though it may seem like a lot to pay, Bustillos said this preventative measure can save a roof from collapsing and ice dams from forming which can cause microbial growth inside a home.

"I think there's a little over 2,000 types of microbial growth and so depending on what type you have it could do some serious damage, not only that cosmetically as far as drywall, painting and stuff like that. Then you're going to have to call your insurance company, figure out what's going on and it's a process. So maintenance is really a good thing," Bustillos said.

Bustillos said no matter who you decide to go with for roof shoveling and ice dam removal, it is very important to ask the contractor for proof of company license and insurance before they give an estimate.